Flush-valve.



w. R. WILLETTS. FLUSH VALVE. APPLIOATION FILEDQOOT. 7, 1909.

996,186", .Patented June 27, 1911.

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WILLIAM R. WILLETTS, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOB T0 AMERICAN PIN COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

FLUSH-VALVE.

.'fiz all who'lnit may concern.

tie it known thatl, lViLLIAM R. WIL- Lrxrrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'aterbury. in the county of New Yusually employed in flush tanks, which is made hollow for buoyancy and of relatively large diameter to accommodate a valve seat of considerable dimensions. These are usually auade of rubber of approximately spherical shape, and have means at the upper side for attachment to the operating rod. ii'hen mat-.le entirely of rubber they are heavier and more expensive tll'ian need be and often become distorted in action, suliieiently sonic times to become inoperative.

My invention has for its object the production of a valve of this nature of cheaper construction, greater durability` and more perfect in operation than those heretofore in use, and to these, ends I construct the valve of hollow form, having the lower seating portion of rubber. and referably substantially heinispherieal in shape, and cured. to an upper cup, preferabiy of analogous shape, which serves not only to receive the attachment to the` ol'ierating rod but atfords rigid protection and support to the rubber portion of the valve.

My invention con'iprises also specilie details of construction which will be more fully described with reference to the aecompanying drawings and then pointed"out in the claims.

In said drawings Figure l is a sectional elevation of my invention, and of so much of a flushing apparatus as is necessary to enable the understanding of its usual and preferred application. Figs. Q and 3 are sectional elevations illustrating modified forms of the valve. Figs. 4t and 5 are sectional elevations of further modified forms of the valve.

1in carrying out my invention l have found that cheapness, buoyancy, rigidity and durability are all best obtained by forming the lower section only of the valve of suitable yielding material such as for instance rub- Specification of Letters Patent. A Pili-,Qnbed June 2 7 Application mea october 7, 1909. serial No. 521,597'.` n

ber, and the upper section of rigid material preferably sheet metal, and the accompanying drawings illustrate only such construction, but in its broadest sense my invention 1s not confined to this construction, and it is not to' be applied to the appended claims except where definitely so stated. It is also to be understood that in describing a part of the valve as made of rubber, this term is used for convenience to cover all equivalent nonmetallic substances appropriate for the purpose of making a tight closure against the valve seat. Vhile the above description of the upper section refers to sheet metal as a preferable material it is obviously implied that any suitable material adapted to render this upper part stiff and unyielding to suit the purpose stated, may be employed.

The invention is shown in Fig. l in conneetion with a flush pipe l having a dischargev opening at 2 provided with the usual seat for the valve 3. The portion 4 of the valve, which rests in said seat when closed, is made hollow and of rubber, and is preferably ot' heinispherieal or other cup shape not extending above its junction with the upper hollow metallic portion 5, as the omission of the upper hemisphere of rubber eti'ects a saving in weight.. I may, however, extend the rubber up within the interior of and to the top of the dome or cup shaped metal portion 5 in some 'ases as shown in Fig. Lt, or this may be reversed, that is, the metal may be extended down in contact throughout with the interior surface of the rubber portion as shown at 5a in Fig.

The rubber portion of the valve may be attached to the metal in various ways. ln the forni shown in Fig. l the rubber is made at its upper rim with a peripherally outwardly extending flange 6 beaded at its lower surface at 7, and the lower rim 8 of the metal cup 5 has the shoulder or bead 8 to seat the rubber part against, and the metal is upset over the bead 7, so as to tightly clasp the two parts of the valve t0- getlier, preferably so as to make an air tight joint.

In the form shown in Fig. 2 the tiange of the rubber seatportion of the valve is not beaded but straight, and occupies a like channel 8b in the lower rim of the metal cup.

being applied thereto either by snapping in place, or luy-upsetting the said rim thereon as may be preferred.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the relation the rim of the lrubof the parts is reversed, ber being snapped over the outer rim of the cup, and' held thereto in any preferred man ner, as for example by the metallic ring 9 held by screws or rivets l0.

` All of these forms of the invention may be `iso maderas to have a permanent joining of the two half-valves. but are preferably so adjusted as to enable the rubber portion to be removed and replaced. Various other n'ioditications and changes in form may be made without departing from my invention. It will be noted that this construction has all of the advantages present in the usual all-rubber valve, and is superior to them in lightness, and cheapness of construction, as well as in several other ways. The rigidity of the metallic cup portion prevents ex pan'sion of the valve, and its distortion, and

yso lteeps it in form to make a perfect litwith its seat, andV prevent its rubbing against the adjacent portions of the mechanism. lts increased buoyancy makes it more ettective in action, as it Vwill allow more water to pass before the ball drops. lt will also be noted from the illustrations that the rubber portion may be easily removed from the metal lic portion when worn out to be replaced.

by a' new one.

` I have found in the practical operation of my device that the metallic portion of the valve is to best advantage made of copper or of suitable alloys thereof. However by combii'iing copper with rubber the copper is subject to corrosion through the substances contained in the rubber. l I therefore provide the metallic port-ion of the valve with a non-corrosive coating such as for instance7 tin, or a similar non-corrosive metal which will notI be affected by rubber.

I claim: v

1. A hollow flush valve having itsseat portion of rubber, and an upper metallic sti'liening and supporting member united to said rubber seat portion substantially as described.

2. A hollow flush valve having only its lower seatportion of rubber, and an upper metallic stitfening and supporting member united to said rubber scat portion substantially as described.

3. A hollow flush valve having a cup shaped rubber seat member, and a cup shaped metallic stili'ening and supporting member united to said first member substantially as described.

4. A hollow [lush valve having a cup shaped rubber scat member. and a cup shaped metallic stiffening and supporting member removably united to said first member substantially as described. y

A hollow flush valve consisting` of a cup shaped rubber seat portimi provided with aperipheral flange, and an upper metallic cup shaped member ha 'fing its rim engaging said flange.

(l. A hollow, flush valve consisting of a flanged rubber cup shaped lower portion, and a cup shaped metallic upper portion having its rim turned over the flange of the rubber lower portion.

7. A hollow flush yalive having its seat portion of rubber and an upper metallic stii't'ening and supporting member removably united to said rubber seat portion, substantially as described.

VVILLIM R. VVILLETTS.

Vlitnesscs Finn) E. BAR'rLn'rr, A. J.. BARNES.

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